Conversations with a Paranormal Investigator ... Rick from Australian Paranormal Society

This week on conversations with a paranormal investigator, I talk to Rick from Australian Paranormal Society and learn what it is like being a medium in the paranormal field.

Sarah Chumacero

12th November 2018.

2 comments.

Conversations with a paranormal investigator, General.

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I have known the team from Australian Paranormal Society for a few years now so of course I had heard of Rick. He is quite the well known and respected figure here in Melbourne and is an incredibily talent medium. On top of that he is also a very kind hearted and lovely person. I very honestly have only heard praise for Rick. People all over the world seek his knowledge and advice on the spirtual realm. Meet Rick.

Please provide a short bio of who you are and what you do in the paranormal field:

Hello there, my name is Rick Krab. I’m a psychic medium who works with the Australian Paranormal Society in varied ways, helping to run public and private Investigations, house cleansings, world wide education and advising on spiritual and paranormal matters.
As well as this, periodically I run spiritual development courses, practice Reiki, do Guide Drawings, do private medium and tarot readings, run several facebook pages to do with all things paranormal and spiritual, and generally in my spare time haunt as many old cemeteries and old buildings and ruins as I can where ever I happen to travel.

How did you get started in the paranormal field?

At early school age I was always doing projects on ancient Egypt and their views on the afterlife. I actually went to Sunday school but that didn’t last long, as I was a curious kid and kept asking the religious teacher who was god talking to when it’s written in genesis “and god said, let Us make man in OUR image after OUR likeness” .. I never got the answer to exactly who the “us” and “our” was, so I left to explore the answer on my own. At the age of 13 I taught myself how to read tarot cards. But by my 18th birthday to the day I gave it all away. For the previous 2 years I was getting card readings on every lay out to do with my mother passing away, which I refused to acknowledge. But on my 18th birthday after an 18th month illness, my mother passed away. I threw the tarot away.
About 9 months later, and rather intoxicated, walking home from a pub with a mate, he spots a light on at a house we passed by. He insisted on calling in to see the people there he knew, even though I debated that it was 2.30am in the morning and way to late. He went ahead and knocked on the door. A woman in her 30’s answered and greeted my mate. Then she looked at me and her first words were “You read tarot cards, I’ve been waiting for you!” .
She was the first medium I had met. She took me under her wing for the next 7 or 8 months and taught me so much about mediumship, guides, spirit, house cleansings, protection, psychometry, healing ,rescue work, spirit removal and so many more things. After that period I branched out on my own to explore many more things.

What is it that draws you to the paranormal?

My favourite saying is “spirit are people too”. Like all of us “live ones”, spirit have emotions, feelings, and a variety of issues to work through, particularly if they have not yet crossed over fully to where we all will eventually go. I’ve always worked in some form with people in need within the health or disability support career areas, so it’s a natural extension as a medium to wish to help those spirit in need, as well as educate the grieving “living” and bring proof that their loved ones are not forever gone. Educating people that feeling, seeing, or sensing spirit around them is really a natural thing, and for the most part certainly is not anything to fear.
Yes there are some nasty elements out there, but with the right education and knowledge, and people in the know to help, problems can be solved. For the most part though for me I cant say exactly what draws me to work in the paranormal and spiritual areas.. I tend to think they choose us to work with them based on our abilities and knowledge.

Do any members of your family research/investigate the paranormal as well? (Does it run in the family?)

My mother I’m lead to believe was very spiritual in her own way, but dad wouldn’t have her expressing her beliefs. Out of 3 sisters and two brothers only my sister periodically will share some things she has experienced. As for my 4 children, only my oldest and youngest daughters have shown abilities and interest, but choose not to work in this area.. for now.. As for my partner.. well she has more aerials than my favourite martian (an old tv show.. it’s a running joke) and picks up on any spirit that is in any area she happens to be.

What is your area of expertise in the paranormal?

Primarily as a medium, and I do like playing with some of the technical gear. I don’t believe anyone is an expert in any area, I believe as long as we exist, and that’s both in human or spirit form, we always have a hell of a lot more to learn. Over the years I have partaken of many things, from running circles, stage mediumship, house cleansings, photo and psychometry readings, worked on missing persons cases, reiki, spirit guide drawings, paranormal investigations, past life regression, removing negative and demonic entities, helping souls cross over, educating people on varied areas in this field, and probably more that I have currently forgotten.. We often learn from very small things. There are several people in both the paranormal and spiritual areas I have great respect for, but no-one is an expert.. there is always more to learn..

What do you believe a ‘ghost’ is? Do you believe in ghosts/spirits?

There are way to many technical terms for my liking.. I’m old school. To me a ghost is a residual energy, something from the past that we are privileged in a way to be able to “look back at”, like rewinding a video and playing back a scene.. Spirit is a word I use for an intelligent energy, one that can interact or can communicate with the living, if they choose to do so. I couldn’t count the amount of times I have seen, felt or sensed in some way both of these types. And living in the old gold mining town of Ballarat, you cant walk from home to the end of the street without feeling, seeing or sensing one of these..

What approach do you take in researching/investigating the paranormal? Spiritual, technical, theoretical etc

For me it’s a more hands on spiritual type of approach, trying to initiate communication with spirit, finding out their story, or if they have a message for anyone to pass that on. And in this way, bring some help to them, or education and understanding to the public. Im not big on the theoretical side, I tend to take things as they happen. I do like some of the technical gear as well as this brings another form of educating the people.
One thing I do wish to mention when we talk about ‘approach” .. To me its very important that one treats spirit with respect, the way you yourself would wish to be treated by any stranger.

When did you know that you could communicate with the other side? What did you do about it?

Considering I’m as old as Moses’s dad.. I can’t remember lol.. I do remember chatting to a young girl in spirit when I was about 7. Can’t remember the conversation but I do remember I didn’t have fear.. I never have had fear even when facing something no-one should ever have to face.. I have caution, but not fear. With my abilities, I only use them to help both spirit and the living in some way or form. Gifts are for giving, which I tend to do underneath the radar as I don’t have time for ego nor a want for a “name’ for myself. I work a lot with peoples guides and any spirit that happens to be in the area that wishes to communicate.

What is involved in developing your mediumship skills?

Rule number 1. Ask the person who wants to learn, why they want to be a medium, and what they want to be able to do with that type of ability. If they cant give the right answer within 5 seconds, send them away and tell them to figure it out. I wont teach anyone that wants to learn mediumship unless they have the right intent. (you do tend to feel if they do or they don’t, and if they really are ready). If they are its important to first learn the basics of grounding and protection, before proceeding on with the more technical and practical sides of becoming a medium. Then its loads of learning about a lot of things with a good mentor who knows what they are doing in a safe and well educated positive way.

How do you validate the information you receive?

It depends on where you are and what your doing. And varies in every case. If its at an abandoned asylum, gold mine ruin, cemetery or historic building for instance, researching into the history and people often uncovers verifying facts. If your working with a passed loved one, I ask the passed loved one to tell the client something no one else would know. In a recent case where a young lady called us in as she was seeing shadows and had things moving in the house, the spirit verified who he was by calling her phone (and went on to do so another 20 odd times when asked) to verify who he was .. It was a friend of hers that had passed a year previous, his number was still locked in the young ladies mobile phone.

How do you receive your messages? Sound, sight, smell etc?

All of the above. It depends on how strong the spirit energy is as to what they are capable of. Some are able to use touch, move objects, indicate answers through electric manipulations such as lights, tv, radio. And of course through spirit box and other paranormal equiptment. As a medium for me its more so like a telepathic link.. call it a vulcan mind meld lol.. Seriously though mostly it is like they send words and pictures into your mind, though sometimes it is very audible.

Is your gift something you can switch off? How can you filter through the messages you are receiving from spirit?

I can switch on and off, and rarely have an issue with that, though some people do struggle and seem to be an “open channel” way to often. I learned to create Boundaries, and have always let spirit know not to cross them. I open when im ready, not when they want.. Unless its urgent, in which case my guides that I work with allow spirit to communicate.. Guides are my filter in a way. And my intuition is in another, it enables me to quickly sense what is important, what is not , what is a good spirit, or if it’s a spirit that has a negative ulterior motive.

How often do you investigate out in the field?

Not as often as I would like with The APS team, due to very odd work hours. But a few of us in my area who have an interest like to try and go out to old cemeteries or areas of history once or twice a week when we can. Plus our house resides in an old mining area, so home is very much an open house to any spirit in the area.

What sort of equipment do you like to use on an investigation?

Spirit boxes drive me insane to be honest, all that static gives a medium a headache .. But I do like proximity meters, evp, and a vast variety of the quieter equipment. As a medium loads of noise fries my senses so to speak..

Do you have a topic that you like to research?

Currently I’m liking to watch a lot of YouTube paranormal teams to see who is good, and who are uneducated twats. True! That’s my current research! .. And yes there are some very respectfully good teams, but there are so many uneducated ‘wanna be’s” out there.. It all goes to enhancing my research into believing more that I can’t be bothered with people with “big ego’s” and “Uneducated twits” who want to see their names in lights.
Personally though, and its not so much research topic as it is a common occurrence I come across at the hospital I work at.. Every so often when I go into a room to remove a body, the spirit is still in the room pacing around having an anxiety attack not understanding why the nurses have put their body into a body bag.. If I am able, I often close myself in the room with them on my own and begin communicating with them trying to help them through spiritual counselling and education, and helping them to ‘cross over” . So In a way, this is an area that I like to work with, research, and find answers for the departed on.

If you retired from the field tomorrow, what legacy would you want to be remembered for? (Achievement, Tours, theory, experiments, attitude etc)

Golden earing was a dutch band that sang “underneath the radar”.. I think it was them ? That’s me in a nut shell.. If someone remembers me with a kind word.. that’s cool.. If someone has a bad word.. .. not my karma hey .. Seriously though, I know some good things I’ve done, if one person remembers.. I hope they can pass something good on from it to someone in need.

What advice would you give to someone who feels that they may have some sort of psychic gift?

What ever you hear, what ever you read, don’t believe a word… Unless it “feels” right to you at that current time. Then you can work with it. If it your unsure about something, put it on a shelf in the back of your mind.. It may become useful at a later date in some way. Trust your “intuition” in the people that come your way to teach you. Try to feel if they are for real or not, there are people out there who know their stuff, and those that don’t. Above all.. Ask yourself why you want to learn to be psychic, a medium, a healer or what ever.. Intent in use creates the path you will travel and grow on. Doing things for a positive love and light reason draws the same energy and positive people your way. Learn to crawl before you can walk.. learn the basics of grounding and protection, they are the stepping stones to greater positive things to come.

If you could educate your peers or pass on knowledge, what would it be?

To be honest there isn’t one thing, or a dozen things I would pin down. For over 40 years, countless experiences, passing on something each time to both human and spirit… I tend to think every little bit counts, as what others may also add, that accumulate to what someone else gains. Keep good intent in what you explore and learn, and then give in a positive way.. We all walk different paths, and learn from many more. Above all become a seeker of truth, and light. Then what ever path you walk, it will be the right one for you. Theres another saying I like, which comes from a time when Rome was considered the center of civilization.. “there are many paths to Rome”.

Plug yourself! Do you have any websites, Facebook pages/groups etc - advertise them

I mainly work on the Australian Paranormal Society facebook page, and my Nova 1 facebook page, though we have many what we consider ‘sister sites” run by some very awesome people I personally have a great respect for.